Memories of a Warner
by frecleface
Summary: Dot just lost her brother. She feels pretty sad about it, so she decides to go have a look at some old things [super long oneshot. take your time . . . ]


**MEMORIES OF A WARNER**

Early one morning, an old, black figure went into a little apartment in a senior citizen building. She was going to visit her older brother. As she opened the door to his room, she noticed immediately that he was slowly drifting away.

"How are you feeling?"

"Pretty much the same. Although, I don't think I'll live to see the sun set today."

"Don't say that, Wakko. You have to hang in there. It was hard enough to lose Yakko. I don't want to lose you yet."

"You have to remember that the main reason we found it so hard to lose Yakko was because he had become so weak. But I have to say, it was harder to look at him alive for those last couple of years than in the funeral itself."

"True. But still, I have to live to see you die too. Can you imagine how hard that is?"

"Yes, I can. And I don't want it to happen. But you have to know that we all have to go. I mean, who wants to live forever?"

"It's just so hard. I won't be visiting you anymore. Talking to you. Knowing that you're here."

Her brother put her hand in his. They were cold, but at the same time very warm.

"Listen, Dot. Don't think of it that way. I'm not going to tell you the whole 'I'll be watching over you' speech – that's just typical Disney. But tell you what, when I die, promise me you won't feel alone."

-----------------

Memories.

Why do they exist? Why do you have to remember everything that has happened in your life? Why is it that every time you lose someone close to you, memories about that particular person seem to pour over you? And no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to shake the feeling that you'll never see that person again. Why does that wannabe computer, the brain, have to have a memory? If it didn't, it would be easier to attend funerals.

What's so interesting about death anyway? It certainly sounds popular. Everyone goes there. But why not Dot? Why hadn't she died yet? She was 84 years old, and she had that blasted cough – she sure had a reason!

She looked at Wakko's tombstone for the first time. It was very well done. It wasn't too plain, and not too fancy either. It was made from pure obsidian and had little, white doves around the name 'Wakko Warner'. Below the name, it read: 'Remembering you brings light to our lives'.

One the left was another grave. That one was a bit older, but it still looked great. The tombstone was made from granite and the name, 'Yakko Warner', was written with his handwriting. Below the name, it read: 'To live is to love. One that has loved can never die'.

Dot's eyes filled with tears. She wanted to see her brothers one last time. She was mature enough to know that she would soon get over the loss, but Wakko's funeral had just ended, so it was hard for her to accept the fact that he was gone.

She turned around to see some familiar faces: Hello Nurse's son, Howdy M. Nurse, with his daughter, Haley Nurse; the current CEO of Warner Brothers, Theodore Plotz, Thaddeus' great grandson; Melvin Mink, Minerva's grandson, and his wife Winter Weasel; Dr. Odele Scratchansniff, Otto's great granddaughter and studio shrink; Skippy, Sherri and Sienna Squirrel; and many more. Dot envied all of them. They had families to go to after the funeral. She had to be alone.

No. She had promised Wakko that she wouldn't feel alone. She was going to keep that promise.

After the funeral, Dot didn't go home like she intended to, but stayed at the Warner movie lot. She knew exactly what to do. She was going to have a look at some old things that would perhaps make her feel slightly better.

As she approached the props and costume department, a security guard grabbed her wrist.

"Hey! No one goes there without permission!" shouted Rain the guard. She wasn't nearly as dumb as her great grandfather, Ralph. After all, her grandfather had been adopted.

"Rain, please," said Dot. "Don't do this to me now. I know you hate me, but will you please let me in. I have to see something."

"That's what they all say," said Rain. "If I let you in there, you'll probably steal all the stuff you can find, or wreck the storage room."

"Oh, Rain," said Dot. "Do you honestly think I'm still as hyperactive like I was as a child?"

"How would I know?" said Rain. "I know that grandpa Ralph always had a difficult time with you and your brothers, and that you used all the tricks you had to get past him."

Dot sighed. Rain was definitely punishing her for being so mean to old Ralph back then. But shouldn't she realize that Dot wasn't like that anymore?

"Rain, I'm begging you," said Dot. "I really need to go in there and have a look at some old things."

"Not a chance," said Rain. "What makes you think I'll let you in there?"

Dot sniffled. "Wakko's funeral was today. I need to see our old stuff."

Rain puffed. "Yeah right! How can you use that as an excuse? You honestly think I'll believe that story? Don't think I haven't heard it before!"

Dot was now crying again. It was bad enough that Rain wouldn't let her in the storage room, but the fact that she didn't believe Wakko's death was even worse.

"Now, now, Rain," said Odele Scratchansniff, who had just arrived at the scene. She didn't have the German accent like the original Scratchy. "Don't be all angry now. Dot just lost her brother two days ago. If you don't believe her, you can ask any of the staff. We were all at the funeral."

Rain's tough face leaked into a shocked one. "Wakko really died?" Dot nodded. "Oh . . . I'm so sorry. No one ever tells me anything!"

Dot smiled as Rain finally let her in the storage room. When she closed the door, she heard Rain shout: "What? Am I not nice enough for a funeral? How hard can it be to let be know? I swear, if I had known . . . " and then her voice faded away.

Dot had a look around at the storage room. It was even bigger then she remembered. Maybe it had been rebuilt to room more. Whatever the reason, Dot turned on the lights. She scanned the hangers, shelves and boxes until she finally found what she was looking for: 'The Warner brothers (and sister), Animaniacs'. She pulled out some of the clothes.

The first costume she saw was Wakko's tailcoat from his 'Great Wakkarotti' skits. It reminded her of Wakko's endless burping as a child and the funny faces he made when he did so. Dot smiled and put the coat gently on the floor.

A student graduate hat was what caught her eye next. As soon as she picked it up, she automatically began humming 'The Mexican hat dance'. How Yakko had managed to sing those two skits – the Nations and the Words – she didn't know, but the thought of them made her smile even wider. It had been so long since she heard Yakko's voice, but holding that hat made her 'hear' it in her head. As she placed the hat next to Wakko's coat, she caught a glimpse of an outfit that looked like Uncle Sam's.

Of course, it wasn't Uncle Sam's suit. It was Yakko's from the time they sang about the presidents. She could picture Yakko in that suit pointing at the audience: "high ho! Do you know the names of the U.S. residents . . . "

She had always loved Yakko's voice. He sang beautifully, no matter what the song was about.

Dot continued looking at costumes and saw her own, puffy, pink dress from "Cutie and the beast". It reminded her of how hard it had been to say her own name. It had taken her about five or six takes.

Before she could go on, Dot coughed hard. It was painful. Every time she coughed, she was afraid that she was going to die soon. She didn't want to just yet. She wanted to finish looking at all those things.

If she thought that those other costumes made her feel happy, it was nothing compared to what she found next: her and her brother's everyday clothes. Yakko's brown slacks were a little dusty; Wakko's red cap was a little mangy, but wearable; her own pink skirt was so little, she couldn't imagine how she had fit into it; and Wakko's blue turtleneck was in perfect shape.

For some reason, Dot didn't want to look at any more costumes. Those little clothes they had once worn every day were enough to make her feel really glad. All those memories . . .

"I can't say I'm pleased with you," said Yakko. He was trying on a new pair of jeans because the head-dresser wanted to create a new look for him and his siblings.

"_Don't be silly, you look great!" said the head-dresser. "Don't wear them so high, it's embarrassing! Pull them down a bit. Everyone is going to want to see your boxers!"_

"_What kind of a pervert are you?" said Yakko. "Besides, I'm used to wear them a little high. Everyone is."_

"_That's why we're here," said the head-dresser and pulled down Yakko's jeans. "We're going to make you look different – better! How's the hoodie, Wakko?"_

"_It's a little bare at the neck," said Wakko, hiding his neck behind his hand. "Do you have any hoodies that go any higher?"_

"_What is the matter with you people?" said the head-dresser. "It's not a turtleneck, Wakko! It's meant to make your neck look . . . uhh, bare."_

"_Whatever. It's still uncomfortable," said Wakko. "And what's with the flashing, Yakko?"_

"_Don't look at me," said Yakko. "I'm not the one who wants to wear jeans like I'm about to drop them. They're a little loose too. Can I have a belt?"_

"_Belts are history," said the head-dresser while putting a beanie on Wakko. "By the way, those shorts are doing the trick there, Wakko. You ready, Dot?"_

"_Um, I don't know," said Dot. She was wearing a tight t-shirt and a denim mini-skirt. "I just don't think it's me."_

"_Nonsense!" said the head-dresser. "Now, line up! I'm going to have a better look at this!"_

_The Warners lined up in their new clothes. None of them liked the new style._

"_Oh my God! You guys look so hot!" said the head-dresser. "I'm practically drooling over you, Yakko."_

"_Well, isn't that interesting?" Yakko said sarcastically. He then gave his siblings a sign. At the exact same moment, all the Warners took off their new clothes, but were wearing their old ones underneath. "But I think I'll stick with the clothes that make people say 'aww', rather than 'rawr'."_

"_What the . . . " said the head-dresser. "How did you do that?"_

_The Warners jumped into her arms and said: "We can't tell! It'll ruin our business!"_

The wonderful flashback was interrupted by another cough attack. This time, it hurt badly. Dot's throat burned and her chest was sore. She was afraid of that cough, afraid of dying. She didn't want to die in pain like Yakko had. Wakko had died in peace – his life ended in his sleep so he hadn't noticed – but Yakko had been very weak for two or three years.

Dot picked up the dusty slacks and held them close. She felt a lump in her throat as she remembered her last encounter with Yakko. It was probably the worst one . . .

"Hey, nurse," said Wakko. He and Dot were going to visit Yakko at the hospital.

"_Hi," said Haley Nurse. She was unusually serious and just looked down on her feet._

"_What's wrong?" Dot asked worriedly. "Is Yakko alright?"_

"_It's hard to tell," said Haley. "I mean, when he got that cerebral haemorrhage, he almost lost the ability to talk. He was able to walk for the first few months, but soon he needed support."_

"_Tell us something we don't know," said Wakko._

"_To tell you the truth, he doesn't look good," said Haley. "We've been trying to give him drugs to ease the pain he seems to feel, but all they cause is a lack of hunger. He hasn't eaten in days, and he's getting very pale and skinny."_

_Dot didn't want to hear more. She wanted to see her brother, no matter how hard it would be. She wanted to at least say goodbye._

_Haley could tell that Wakko and Dot were desperate to see Yakko, so she finally led them to his room. It was warm inside, and Yakko lay silently on his bed. Dot sat down on a chair and Wakko stood by. Dot put her palm on Yakko's cheek._

"_Hey, handsome," she said. "Can you hear me?"_

_Yakko opened his eyes but didn't turn his head. He tried to reply, but all he could say was: "Ahh . . . huh,"_

_Dot smiled and tried not to cry. "Do you know who I am?"_

_Yakko mumbled something that sounded like a sigh, but Dot could make out a little "Nahh . . . "._

"_I'm princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the third," Dot said slowly. "But you can call me Dot."_

_Yakko smiled weakly and turned his head. "Dah . . . Dahhtt."_

"_That's right," said Dot. "I'm Dot. Wakko is here too."_

"_Hi, Yaks," said Wakko and took Yakko's hand. "Good to see you're still here."_

"_Wa . . . Wahhko," Yakko sighed. He looked at his two siblings with his blank eyes. Dot could tell that he was about to die._

"_Guess what," said Wakko. "In a few weeks, Dot will turn 75. Isn't that neat?"_

_Yakko nodded weakly and looked at Dot. He then pointed at himself and sighed: "S . . . sevv . . . s . . . seven . . . "_

"_Yes," said Dot. "That makes you 79 and Wakko 77. Imagine, in a year, you'll be 80."_

_Yakko smiled and lay down on his bed again. He didn't face his siblings, but Dot saw that his eyes were teary. _

"_Um, I don't know if this is the right time, but you're going to have to leave soon," said Haley Nurse, who had just come into the room._

"_We're almost done," said Wakko. "Dot, I think this is it." He then turned to his older brother and put a hand on his forehead. "Yakko, there's no doubt about it: we love you more than anything else in this whole world. I think that if it hadn't been for you . . . " He paused for a while and dried his eyes. "We wouldn't have had such a good time in our lives, both old and when we were young. I just want to say: thank you for being my brother, always there for me." He brushed Yakko's forehead and then smiled at him._

_Dot took Yakko's hand. "I don't know what I can say to top that. Believe me, everything Wakko said it absolutely true. If I could go back in time, I would stay there and relive my childhood. Partly because I miss being a little girl, but mostly because of you, Yakko. You were always so . . . " She couldn't continue. Without thinking, she began crying. She squeezed Yakko's hand (not too much, though) and kissed him on the cheek. _

_Yakko wanted to say something, but no sound came out of his mouth. Soon, Wakko and Dot were both led out by some doctor. As they left, they had one last look at their oldest brother and both mouthed 'We love you'._

The slacks weren't dusty anymore. Dot had used them to dry her tears as she remembered that day. She put all the clothes back in place and rubbed her face with her palm. She continued to scan the isle, and soon found a box of CDs. She had a look around and soon found a stereo. She randomly picked one CD and put it in. There was a short silence, but soon, a blues/jazz piano rhythm began playing, followed by a big band.

"She's the woman of the year – independent, a career – there's not a thing that she couldn't do . . . "

Hearing Wakko's young voice was overwhelmingly pleasuring. Dot listened to the whole song, and waited for the next one to start.

"I'm cute, yes it's true – I really can't help it, but what can I do? – when you're cute, it just shows . . . "

Dot couldn't help but sing along. She didn't sing as well as she did back then, but it was fun to sing that song again. After a few minutes, the next track began.

"_The sense of sight is what guides us right when we go out on walks."_

"_The sense of smell's the way you tell that you need to change your socks."_

"_The sense of touch is what hurts so much when you bang your toe on the bed . . . "_

Dot remembered that one well: the Senses. It was always fun to hear that tune. And the lyrics were funny too. Dot had forgotten how marvellous the writers were when it came to rhyming.

The next track didn't sound like a typical Animaniacs song – they were usually from operas or other famous works – but more like an old 90s song. But very soon, Dot realized that it was Macadamia Nut. She loved her brother's lines:

"Dot is a nut so they call her Macadamia – she's cracked in the head and cookie in the brainia – each line in this sing sounds pretty much the samia – oy! Macadamia!"

After that track, Dot switched CDs to hear something else. The first track almost made her scream.

"It's time for Animaniacs – and we're zany to the max – so just sit back and relax – you'll laugh 'till you collapse – we're Animaniacs!"

Every single episode began like that. Oh, how she wanted to watch Animaniacs right now.

"_We're animaney – totally insaney . . . "_

"_Shirley McClainey . . . "_

"_Animaniacs! Those are the facts!"_

How true. Back then; they were most certainly animated maniacs. Dot couldn't imagine how hyperactive she and her brothers were. It was weird to think that they spent every day differently. Suddenly, the next track began to play.

"A quake, a quake! – the house begins to shake! – you're bouncing 'cross the floor and watching all your dishes break! – you're sleeping, there's a quake – you're instantly awake . . . "

Dot couldn't hear the rest of the verse because of her coughing. It was even worse than before. Her sight became blurry and she leaped down on her knees.

"Stop it!" Dot said to no one. "I can't leave now! There's so much I haven't seen!"

She coughed again. It was a little less painful, but it still hurt. She struggled to stand up, but finally managed to. She cleared her throat – which immediately reminded her of Slappy – and went on. She had a look at another shelf. That one only included old props. Dot saw loads of things: paper stacks for Plotz's office; all of Wakko's mallets, both small and extra large; loads of anvils; Wakko's gag bag; crowbars; pieces of chalk; nets . . . there were uncountable things in there.

Dot smiled as she walked pass all the things from her childhood. In between, there were shoes, hats, ties, bow ties and jewellery that had been put in their own area. It was a strange thought that all the things the old cast used were still at the movie lot. Maybe Warner Brothers were planning to make a museum . . .

FLASH!

"Whoa!" Dot said up loud. It felt like someone just aimed a flashlight directly in her eyes. It caused a major headache. Dot held on to her head, but kept seeing those flashes. "Stop it! I'm not ready!" Somehow, saying that made the flashing stop. Weird. Dot shook her head and continued walking. At the end of the isle, she saw a huge mirror. Despite her age, she still had the feminine urge to go check on her look. But as she approached the mirror, she couldn't help but gasp.

She didn't see her own reflection. She saw herself as a five-year-old! When she looked closer, she could see her brothers standing at her sides. They were about the same age from Animaniacs as well. Dot covered her mouth.

"Oh my gracious!" she said. "Yakko?" Yakko's image nodded. "Wakko?" Wakko's image waved. "I don't believe it! I'm young again!" Both images smiled. Yakko put one hand on Dot's reflection's shoulder and smiled, as did Wakko. Then Dot gave the mirror a look, as if it was a living thing.

"Wait a minute," she said. "Where have I seen this before?"

The images of Yakko and Wakko looked at each other.

"Man, you've got some memory," said Yakko. "You'll definitely not become senile this year. But yeah, this does feel familiar. Any ideas, Wakko?"

"I think it's the mirror of Erised," said Wakko after a little thought. "But what's it doing in the Animaniacs isle?"

Dot shrugged. "No idea. But how can you talk? I thought that visions in this mirror could only be seen."

"Aw, come on, Dot," said Yakko. "You know us. We used to parody things all the time. So what if the show got cancelled decades ago? The spirit of Animaniacs lives on!"

"What are you? A philosopher?" said Wakko.

In all her life, Dot couldn't have felt happier than at that moment. All those flashbacks she had had, all the things she had seen, all the music she had heard; they were nothing compared to this. She was seeing herself and her brothers as children again. She just wished they weren't visions.

Out of the blue, Dot heard a door slam. She squeaked a little before turning around. No one was there, but Dot heard footsteps so someone was coming. She looked in the mirror again.

"I have to go," she said. "I'll see you later."

"You've got that right," said Yakko.

Dot had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but didn't stay to find out. She tiptoed away from the mirror and sneaked behind the hangers so that the person who had come in wouldn't see her. Of course, that wasn't possible, since that person found her immediately. It was Rain, as expected.

"Did you think you were allowed to stay here all day?" she said. "I know your brother died and all, but you can't just sneak back here forever. Time to go."

"But I haven't even found any episodes," said Dot.

"This is a props and costume department," said Rain. "If you want to watch episodes, then go buy some."

Dot didn't say anything else, but obeyed. Rain led her out and then locked the storage room. She then looked at her with a sorry face.

"I'm sorry, Dot," she said. "But this is my job. You don't work here anymore, so you're not allowed to stay here for long. I'm going to have to ask you to--"

Rain couldn't finish her sentence. Dot's cough was blocking her way. It really made Dot hurt. A headache attacked and her sight became blurry again. She couldn't feel her feet and it was hard for her to breathe. She tried to speak, even if it was painful.

"Rain," she managed to say. "Call an . . . ambulance!" She then fell on the ground and began coughing up blood. Finally, she passed out. Her body could take it no longer.

-----------------

What was that? A shiny butterfly? No way. Butterflies don't glow. Dot tried to reach for it, but couldn't lift her arm. She then considered opening her eyes. When she did, she saw that she was lying in a hospital bed. She was connected to a lot of wires, and her heartbeat was being measured. She slowly sat up and had a look around. She had been in this room before. Yes! It was the same room Yakko had once stayed in. There was a chair at the side of the bed, and there sat Odele Scratchansniff.

"Hey," she said. "Glad to see you're up. Is it too early to ask how you're feeling?"

"I wouldn't say that," said Dot. "I still have a headache and my chest is a little sore, but otherwise, I'm feeling okay."

"Rain said you had a mean cough attack back at the lot," said Odele. "How long have you had it?"

"Just a couple of weeks," said Dot. "But yesterday was the worst. It was like someone was willing to kill me with it."

"Yes, it's strange how a sickness can develop into a killer," said Odele. "But let me ask, what were you doing in there?"

"In the storage room?" said Dot. "I was having a look at a few things. I was feeling a bit down after the funeral, so I thought it would cheer me up. Unfortunately, Rain ordered me to get out pretty soon."

Odele smiled. "Yes, that Rain is one tough lady."

"She sure is," said Dot. She didn't speak for a while, but the she asked: "Odele, have you ever had a look into the mirror of Erised?"

"You mean from that old Potter movie?" said Odele. "No I haven't. I didn't even know it existed. I though it was computer generated. Why do you ask?"

"I saw it," said Dot. "And I looked in it. I saw my brothers and myself as children. It was wonderful. I could talk to them and everything."

"Really? What did they say?" said Odele.

"Not so much, sadly," said Dot. "But when I said that I was going to see them later, – that is, I was going to check on that mirror later on – Yakko said 'You've got that right'. I still don't know what he meant."

"Maybe your brothers were causing those coughs of yours," said Odele. "Maybe they wanted you to die too so that you could all be together again."

Dot looked at Odele doubtfully. There was no way Yakko and Wakko were making her cough so hard. And even if they were, they wouldn't make her suffer. But then again, Odele did have a point. Perhaps her brothers really did want her dead, just so they could see each other again. She remembered the flash attack. That could have been Yakko and Wakko trying to make her faint.

"You really think they're trying to kill me?" Dot asked.

"No, no," said Odele. "Not at all. I think they're just trying to tell you to hurry up with your life so they can meet you."

Dot smiled and lay down on the bed. Odele didn't say anything else, so Dot used the opportunity to think. She was thinking about all the fun she had had with her brothers for all those years. No matter how old they got, they could always have a good time together.

Memories.

They really aren't so bad after all. The reason you remember everything that has happened in your life is so you can think about all the things that make you happy. When you lose someone close to you, you tend to remember all your encounters with that person, and it eases the pain that follows the loss. Even if you won't see that person again, there are always memories. If it weren't for them, Dot wouldn't be able to remember her brothers. Those memories always made her happy.

One thing's for sure: if it weren't for memories, Dot wouldn't be smiling and teary at the same time.

**-The end-**


End file.
